Making Sense of Life (Paperback) by Michael Ots

All of us will go through moments when we are forced to face up to life’s big questions. For some it is the reality of death – watching tragedies unfold around us. For others it is the wonder of life – marvelling at the birth of a baby, or the spectacle of a sunset. These moments provoke questions – about life and value, identity and meaning, society and the environment, love and relationships, justice and freedom, despair and hope.

In Making Sense of Life, Michael Ots honestly and carefully examines the questions that we all have. He unravels our desires and our dilemmas and makes the case that the Christian faith really does make the best sense of the things that matter most.

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Honest, refreshing, engaging, and powerful – if you're genuinely interested in making sense of life's deepest questions, this book is a great place to start.

Andy Bannister, Author; Speaker; Director, the Solas Centre for Public Christianity

In his latest book, Making Sense of Life, Michael Ots weaves together a compelling case for the Christian faith pointing us in the right direction to find true purpose and meaning. I highly recommend reading this book and sharing it with others.

Dr Amy Orr-Ewing, Author; Speaker

Here is a compelling vision for life that is bold and bright. It's bold in the breadth of its scope—engaging the great issues of our times and our hearts. It's bright in drawing us back continually to its radiant centre, Jesus Christ. With Making Sense of Life we look again at the world through the lens of Christ, and what we see sparkles with goodness, truth and beauty.

Glen Scrivener, Author, Reading Between the Lines; Director, Speak Life

Michael Ots has spent 20 years speaking and listening on university campuses across Britain and Europe. He knows what the big questions of life are, and if you turn to the contents page I'm certain you'll find at least three chapter headings which deal with subjects that you find both beckoning and bewildering. The chapters themselves are full of wisdom, illustration and breadth, which did not disappoint. I thoroughly recommend this most timely book, as we all try and make sense of a post-COVID world.

Rico Tice, Minister, All Souls Church; co-founder, Christianity Explored

Title

Making Sense of Life
Author(s)

Michael Ots
ISBN

9781913896553
Format

Paperback
Publisher

10Publishing
Pages

256
Published

01/10/2021

Download a sample

Overall rating

5.0 based on 2 reviews

Making Sense of Life

‘Do we need another book on apologetics?’ was my first thought when I opened this book by Michael Ots. ‘I’m so glad he wrote this’ was my final thought when I put it down. This is refreshingly different and right up to date. He covers the issue of suffering carefully, but apart from this I can’t think of another book that addresses the range of questions he does. For example, in ‘Making sense of humanity’ he shows where the idea of human rights came from; in ‘Making sense of our world’ he explores the origins of our concern for the environment. He very helpfully discusses issues of our personal identity, our pursuit of happiness and our obsession with freedom. He even asks and answers the questions of how we can make sense of loneliness and love. He concludes by presenting the good news about Jesus as the only solid foundation for hope and calling the reader to follow Him. This is a fine book. It certainly addresses contemporary questions and it does so in an engaging manner with up–to–date and modern references and helpful quotations. The chapters can be read in any order and will be of great help to Christians wanting to share their faith with others. As a ‘give away’ to those who aren’t already believers, I do think it’s aimed at an educated audience. It is probably most suitable for students or those who’ve already shown a serious interest in the questions it addresses.

David Gallie, Free Church books

Michael Ots has written an apologetics book for our age. In a series of chapters, he looks at different questions about life and how Christianity answers them. The chapters can be read in any order and are very contemporary. The chapter on human rights shows that humanity has value from being made in God’s image and Jesus’ incarnation. There is a thoughtful critique of modern environmentalism, as being driven by fear. A more sustainable environmentalism recognises God’s creation and its glorious future hope. Another great chapter covers the polarisation of society. Cancel culture is built on an unfounded self–righteousness that dehumanises the other. The reality is that we are all sinners who need God’s grace. Different approaches to suffering are considered and the Christian approach is set out sensitively and without platitudes. A brilliant chapter on identity examines the problem of individualism and how we can find our true identity in Jesus Christ. Ots argues that materialism cannot satisfactorily explain love, but a God who is love can. Other topics covered include happiness (only found in Jesus), loneliness (a solution found in knowing God and joining his family, the Church), and freedom (again found only in Jesus). Finally, to a seemingly hopeless and despairing world, Ots holds out the hope of the Gospel and encourages the reader to come to a decision on whether to believe what they have read. The audience is students and recent graduates. The arguments require thinking but are not intellectual. Some of the anecdotes fit with a pre–covid middle class lifestyle, but the Covid pandemic is referenced when appropriate. Buy it, read it, and give to any students or recent graduates you know.

10 of those